Global FMCG giant Unilever has issued a recall for several well-known brands of dry shampoo in the US due to a possible cancer risk. As per media  reports Dove is among the well-known brands of aerosol dry shampoo that Unilever Plc had to recall after learning that they were tainted with benzene, a substance that can lead to cancer. According to a notice published on the Food and Drug Administration website, the recall extends to brands including Nexxus, Suave, Tresemme, and Tigi, which manufactures the dry shampoos Rockaholic and Bed Head dry shampoos. Hindustan Unilever (HUL), a division of Unilever in India, has stated that India would not be impacted by the product recalls in the US and Canadian markets.

The decision calls into doubt once more the safety of aerosols in personal care products. Products manufactured before October 2021 are affected by Unilever's recall. Aerosol sunscreens like Johnson & Johnson's Neutrogena, Edgewell Personal Care Co.'s Banana Boat, and Beiersdorf AG's Copperstone, as well as spray-on deodorants like Procter & Gamble Co.'s Secret and Old Spice and Unilever's Suave, have all been removed from store shelves over the past year and half. Beginning in May 2021, Valisure, a New Haven, Connecticut-based analytical lab, discovered benzene in several items, which led to the recalls. The company stated it was recalling the products out of an excess of caution but did not specify how much benzene was found in them.

It has been noted previously that spray-on dry shampoo is a concern. Following Valisure's findings, P & G examined every aerosol product in its lineup. The business then issued a benzene contamination recall for its Pantene and Herbal Essences dry shampoos in December. Propane and butane, two propellants generated from petroleum distillates produced during the refinement of crude oil, are frequently found in spray-on personal care products like dry shampoo.

“Daily exposure to benzene in the recalled products at the levels detected in testing would not be expected to cause adverse health consequences.” - FDA 

However, the organization added that exposure to benzene might cause leukemia and other blood cancers.